Method of and apparatus for making high-temperature-resisting bonded mica products



Sept. 1951 w. R. MANSFIELD ET AL 2,567,721

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING HIGH TEMPERATURE-RESISTING BONDED MICA PRODUCTS W QQN N i 3 &

Filed Jan. '7, 1947 INVENTOR. WZHJAM 1?. IVA/$571520 BY FRANK 6? HUGHES A T TORNE Y Patented Sept. 11 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFI-CE METHon'oFANn APPARATUS FOR'MAKING 'HIGH TEMPERATURE RESISTING BOND- ED MrcA PRODUCTS WnIiamMRMMansfield elmontland ank H hes ,Qemb idse Mass, assi m W s A. Boughton, Chester L. Dawes, ,William B; Mansfield, Frank'O. Hughes, andDon'aldfMl Hill, trustees Application January 7, 1947, Serial No. 720,598

'3 Claims. (Gl..154--"-2.6)

"at the end of this specification.

The drawingiillustrates in side elevation, and partly in vcross section, :a :preferred form f apparatus for practising the:present.,invention.

In-general, the present invention contemplates a method of and apparatusformalcing ,a high heat composite inorganic bonded:m-ica product and'more specificallyfa bondedmicaplate wherein *amica 1 plate isi'built. up :from: mica ifilms .ntilizing a high temperature-resisting tginorganic binder for adhering successive layers. of v the mica films. The plate thusproducedl'isuthen heated individually .to :a relatively high temperature to flux the inorganicbinder, andathereafter rthe heated plate :is subjected to. compression while the binder is. in asmolten .con'ditioncand; permitted torcool under compression. The inventioniur- --ther contemplates the -.compression .of 1 the :plate individually ;so .as to "insure -,the substantially uniform dissipation -;of heat from the different parts of .the \plate during cooling, itherQby to minimize differentials in contractiongbetween the Ivarious parts of'the plate during cooling In :this .manner arious ,defects in mechanical strength, integration, translucency .and uniform- .ity vof flow of thebinder, which have at times heretofore been experienced in the manufacture of high temperature bonded mica plate made according to prior methods, are reduced to .a minimum, and a superior product may be .produced.

In accordance with the preferredmethod of Qmaking a high temperature bonded mica plate, .;a layer of mica films is produced by layering the films on a screen and covering themwith a layer of sprinkled, sprayed or painted inorganic binder liquid in controlled uantities. Additional layers l. .of mica films are added with binder liquid be- ;tweenuntiltheplate is built up to almost on ehalf the desiredrthickness. ,The ,full half thickcomp i any limitle s n the com os te p e "wi h the -Wsr arise? i remove the solventirom the binder. ,The met thuss e cd hed c m r s s-instil ed the United StatestPatentto'B ughton. nd,Man sdescribe by Bou hto an the sec ion lassemblsp fiir u h ms ,.n o edu ,ab9 M proces .rq em laie th hea n i, ind v du lly we is the nor anic nd r 2 ass isf h l in d y mi sin on w h de liq id. 91 s Mi sa ls'nsrs i film Th other half of theplate is built similarly on em other screen, one of the halves isthen' inverted and the other half is liftedandplaced Ion {the i ver ed al w sn sem -seme of 'b libetween, FI he completely built green pl' e is uid th n p ced o was: seen slid is th n 4 9ih d ete htyuhs firi is. table ismPs mm and und suc s ne tigns es. u st ei ell jsh he d. 1Nbi2i8695t uses J n i r 6, 0 7 t whic r e ence msi'bemd r ,7 y, i

The i o ganic P der carnlstsmla qn xatirsin r sei compounds or mixtures of such compo fficien us as bin ers for. resis i m c late .h i9 mixtures. o .mQaQsQs ium..-Ph si b9; 1 .s el in Beten 2 8 9, 7' .y V. 4 I flss redi the p a a Paemd s in e cordancewith ffihl vdisc s h i d Feb ary .l e itl li s' 'zi themes plat ma J9? bui u i M l fi se s, eg

tw of .th ssction f m zfhe szi tsrli such two sections formingthe;outerfsurfa & the completed plate, all ,as morecorr plete io ftth. inss s ne snt- .vauqn is tha a te it ?j i slats has t e produc d in a t w it usit 'er ei th .rlhed, the nextst'ep the th -th hea edr a i e ond ions" su h a mann r as swa ms .subs a 'ally .un rormui simtion et th that iron a f heating furnace. During their passage through the furnace the plates are heated to a temperature suflicient to bring the inorganic binder to a state of'flux; In usual commercial practise this may be at substantially red heat. Successive heated plates are then transferred from the traveling grate directly into a power press operated in timed relation to the intermittently operated conveyer. The press is arranged to apply substantial pressure to the plate before any substantial cooling has occurred and while the binder is still in a state of flux. pressure of at least 250 lbs. per square inch is maintained during the cooling of the plate. In this manner the dissipation of the heat from the plate is caused to take place substantially uniformly over the entire surfaces of the plate so that minimum differentials in contraction are experienced between the various parts of the plate, and a finished product is produced from which defects in uniformity, hardness, mechanical integration and translucency are eliminated, thus providing a more commercially saleable and useful product.

Referring now to the drawing, the illustrated apparatus for practising the above described method comprises, in general, an elongated heat- "ing furnace [8; an intermittently operated conveyer or traveling grate [2 upon which the individual green mica plates [4 are placed in spaced relation and which is arranged to pass through the furnace to heat the plates tothe required temperature during their progress therethrough; and a power press l6 operated in timed relation to the intermittently operated traveling grate and "equally spaced pusher bars l8 arranged to engage and advance the individual plates [4 during the intermittent movement of the grate over the hearth 28 of the heating furnace. The endless grate is arranged to run over an idler sprocket 22 disposed at the receiving end of the furnace,

and a driven sprocket 24 disposed at the delivery end thereof, the upper run of the grate being supported by side rails 25.

The furnace l8 may be of any usual or preferred type either electric, gas fired or oil fired and provided with control mechanism including 'a temperature control device 2| of any usual or preferred type for maintaining a substantially constant and required temperature. The conveyer or grate 12 extends outwardly beyond the receiving end of the furnace in order to permit a green mica plate to be placed on the conveyer in front of each pusher bar l8, the upper run of the conveyer passing through a suitable opening 23 formed in the end wall at the receiving end of the furnace. The delivery end of the furnace is preferably provided with a hooded portion 21 in order to prevent any substantial cooling of the plate during the transfer operation, the hood being" provided with an opening 29 through which the plates are discharged to be received by the press. The chain link belt may be of open or skeletonized structure, or may include a screen belt so that minimum obstruction between the hearth 2D and the plates is provided Preferably a 4 to enable the plates to be brought up to the required temperature in a minimum time.

As herein shown, provision is made for intermittently operating the traveling grate to effect transfer of a mica plate l4 directly from the furnace into the power press during each cycle of operation of the apparatus. The intermittently operating mechanism includes a springpressed pawl 26 carried by a rocker arm 28 and which is arranged to cooperate with successive equally spaced notches 30 formed in the periphery of a ratchet disc 32 mounted on a shaft 34. The rocker arm 28 is pivotally carried on the shaft 34 and is arranged to be rocked through 90 to effect A; of a revolution of the ratchet disc each cycle of operation, by a cam 36 fast on a cam shaft 38 and through connections including a cooperating cam roller 40 carried by a lever 42 pivotally mounted at 44. A link 46 connects the end of the lever 42 to the rocker arm 28. A spring 48 may be connected to the lever 42 to hold the roller 48 against its cam. A second pawl 50 pivotally mounted at 52 may be providedfor co operation with a notch 30 of the ratchet disc 32 at the end of each advancing stroke in order to prevent back lash and to hold the disc in its advanced position during the return stroke of the driving pawl 26. In order to drive the traveling grate a distance equal to the space between successive pusher bars I8 during each cycle of operation, the ratchet disc 32 may be formed integrally with a spur gear 54 which is arranged to mesh with a spur gear 56 fast on the driving sprocket shaft 58, the gears being designed in a suitable ratio to effect the desired movement. The cam shaft 38 may be driven through any usual or preferred driving means, herein shown as comprising a reduction gear power unit 60 connected to the cam shaft by a belt drive 62.

From the description thus far it will be observed that the individual mica plates l4 placed on the receiving end of the traveling grate l2 are intermittently advanced through the furnace l0 during which time the plates are subjected to a high heat for a sufficient length of time to bring the inorganic binder into a state of flux, and that a heated plate is discharged from the delivery end of the furnace each cycle of operation of the apparatus to be received by the power press 16.

As herein shown, the illustrated power press [6 is provided with upper and lower pressure platens 64, 66 respectively and the press is preferably arranged in an inclined position with respect to the horizontally disposed traveling grate in order to facilitate transfer of the mica plate being discharged into operative position between the platens, and also so that upon completion of the compressing operation the plate may slide by gravity off the lower press platen 66 onto a table 68 or other support, as indicated.

The illustrated power press I6 is arranged to be operated by a crank shaft 10 arranged to be rotated by any usual or preferred driving mechanism herein shown as including an electric motor 14 and a train of "gears '16. The crank shaft is connected by a link 18 to a press ram movable in guides 82. The upper platen 64 is attached to the lower end of the press ram to be reciprocated therewith to effect the compressing operation.

The driving mechanism for the press may and preferably will include a /2 revolution clutch of any usual or preferred construction, indicated generally at 84 and, as herein shown, provision is 76 made for controlling the press in timed relafurnace to the press, and, after the pressure has been maintained for a predetermined time interval, the press platen is caused tobe elevated,

whereupon the compressed plate is discharged and a'succeeding plate is delivered to the press at the start of another cycle of operation.

As herein shown, the /2 revolution clutch 84 is provided with a pawl 86- arranged tocooperate withtwo radially projecting lugs or ratchet teeth '83 formed onthe driven member of the clutch and spaced 180 apart. The pawl 86 is normally urged into engagement with a tooth 88 by a spring 90' and is-arra-nged tobe rocked out of engagement therewith to release the clutch for revolution by a cam 92 fast on the cam shaft 38 and through connections including a cooperating cam roll 94 carriedbya bell crank 96 pivotall'y "mou'ntedat 98in a bracket I60. The bell crank '96 is connected by a link I02 to a second bell crank Hi lpivotally' mounted at I06 and which is connected by a link N18 to the-pawl 86.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the cam 92 is provided with two high spots '91, 9? so that, inoperation, the pawl 88 is rocked twice during each cycle of operation of the apparatus, once to lower the press platen 64 to effect compression of the plate, and once to elev'ate' the platen, the cam being designed to provide a substantial interval of time for the pressure to be maintained on the plate before the platen is again elevated. As herein shown, the

high spot 91 has just passed by and effected elevationof the press platen and at this timethe cam 36- is just about toeitectintermittent' movement of the traveling grate to transfer a sucseeding plate from the furnace into the press.-

Provision is also made in the preferred emliodiment of the invention for controlling the powerpress I6 independently of the intermittent movement of the travelin'g'grate, and as herein shown, amanually operated control lever Ilil pivotally mounted at H2 is provided- The lever H is provided with an arm I I4 arranged teembrace' the connecting link I88 and to engage a collar H6 fast on'the linkso that when the lever is' rocked counter clockW-ise the link I88 is pulled down to rockthe clutch-pawl 86. A stop pin II may also be provided to limit the movement of theflever I'IIlina clockwise direction. The lower -end of the link is provided withayieldable connection' to perm-it downward movement of the link independently of the bell crank I84 during manual control of the press. As herein shown,

the yieldable connection may comprise a spring II-8- interpo'sed'between a swivel block I20 carrie'dby the'bell crank and a collar I22 fast. on

the link I68. A: second collar I24 fast on; the l'owerendof the link and disposed to engage the underside of the swivel block I20 is provided to effect positive rocking of the pawl 86 when operatedby the tripping cam 92.

When thewzmanual control is operated, the link may slide through an openingiprovided therefor in the swivel block as-the spring H8 is depressed.

66'; the conveyor coming to rest with the pusher ba'rfi'IWhaving-passedover thetop of the sprocket and having pushedthe plate onto the lower 'he'tween the block and a collar I48.

piston so that the platemay'slide by gravity into operative position to be compressed. Provision is made for engaging the leading edge of the plate to dispose the same in operative position on the platen and, as herein shown, a stop pin $30 is provided which is movable in the lower platen and is held in its moved position by a friction plug I32.- The pin I30 is normally in its raisedpositionto en age and stop an incoming plate and when lowered the upper platen is arranged to engage and depress the stop pin 1'30 during the compressing operation. Upon elevation of the press platen 64, the compressed plate may slide by gravity oil? the lower platen while-the stop pin is" still depressed and immediately thereafter the pin is again raised to stop a succeeding plate by a rocker arm I36 engageab'le withthe lower end of the pin I30. The arm I36 is fast on a shaft I38 and is arranged to be rocked by a connection to the cam lever 42 so arranged as tee-fleet raising of the stop pin after the conveyor has been advanced through approximately one half of its stroke thus providing ample time for the compressed plate to slide out of the press and also returning the stop into operative positionprior to'the transfer of a susceed-ingsh'eet; As herein shown; the shaft H8 is provided-with a' lever I40 fast thereon and which is connected by a'r'od I42 to the cam lever 42. The red- I-42--is' arranged to' slide in a. swivel block I44 carried-bythe cam lever and the rod is normallyurged to the left bya spring I46 interposed A second collar I 50 fast on the rodis arranged to' beenga'gedbytheswivel-bloek' I44 to'efiect raising of thestop' pin after the lever 42 has been rocked through substantially one half of its stroke. The lever I 40' may be limited in'itsreturn movement by a stoppin I5 2.

After being compressed, successive: mica: plates M rnaysudeby gravity off the press platens and across-a suitable-bridge plate I54 and over rollers I55 to bereceived" between vertical guide plates I58, I attached to the table 68 to form a pile of mica matesaas illustrated. The usual provision, nct snowm may: be made. for adjusting the press plat'ehsfid' 66' with relationto'each-other in order to permit-variationof the pressure applied. The ress-pla-t'ens 6'4 66' may also be water cooled, as indicated in the dr'a'wingin order to expedite the cooling of'the-heat'ed plate while under pressure accordance with the present method.

From" the alio ve description it'will be observed thatinthe opei ationof the apparatus-the green mica plates are individually placed on the intermittently operated conveyer in spaced relation and are carried through the furnace I0,

and; during their progressthrough the furnace,

the preliminarily bo'nded mica plates become increasingly hotter until the binder becomes assume that theinterinitte'nt movement: of the conveyor discharges one plate every thirty seconds ortwoaminute itwillbe seen that the lehgtlror: the furnace should besuch asto" hold at least six sue ssi've plates to provide? a-total tifne of three Withm the furnace for each individual sheet. In commercial practice, the dimensions of the individual mica plates are approximately one foot wide and three feet long and are preferably extended transversely of the conveyer.

It will be further observed that the heated plate is transferred directly from the furnace to the press by the intermittent movement of the conveyer, the plate being permitted to slide by gravity into operative position to be compressed, and that the pressure is applied immediately while the binder is still in a state of flux, the pressure being maintained until the binder has cooled below its fluxing point. As further illustrative of the operation of the present apparatus, the press It, operated in timed relation to the intermittently operated conveyer I2 which discharges a plate every thirty seconds, is arranged to maintain compression for approximately twenty seconds maximum thus allowing ten seconds during each cycle of operation for the removal of a compressed plate and the introduction of a heated plate into the press. Thus it will be seen that in the above example of the progress of an individual plate through the apparatus a minimum of 120 mica plates may be produced in one hour. It will be understood that the above figures are merely illustrative and that the heating and pressing times may be varied, and if desired materially reduced in practice so that a much greater production may be obtained. For example, the heating time may vary between one and one half to three minutes and the pressure time may vary between fifteen to thirty seconds without water cooled platens and between ten to twenty seconds with water cooled platens.

The important feature of the present invention may be best appreciated by consideration of the prior methods of producing a comparable bonded mica plate, such methods being illustrated in the above mentioned patent to plates to form a heater charge. This is then placed in an oven and heated to red heat for substantial periods of time to flux the inorganic binder. In practice the charge was heated with- .& out the addition of further pressure upon the plates other than that due to the weight of the material forming the charge, until a binder .fiuxing temperature of red heat was reached, for example about 550 C. to about 650 C. for the inorganic binder specifically described in the patent. The charge, while still red hot with the -.-binder in a molten viscous state, was then drawn into a suitable pressand immediately a pressure of from about 250 to about 500 pounds per square inch was applied to the top and bottom of the stack. The entire charge was then permitted to cool, assisted preferably by water, cooled platens or by air blasts, while the assembly was stillmaintained under pressure.

Although the products of the methods described by Boughton and Mansfield have been found, in extensive commercial manufacture, to

- be very satisfactory and far superior to any such products theretofore available, we have found that during the cooling of the multiple heater charge under compression, there takes place a compression upon the outer area of the mica plates and thus serves to decrease the mechanical integration of the outer area and the uniformity of the product. This thermal effect is caused, apparently, by difierences in thermal coefiicients of contraction due to the differences in temperature which then exist between the inner area, and the outer area of the multiple heated charge during cooling under compression of the heater charge as a whole.

) In practicing the prior method, when the. multiple heater charge in its heated state was transferred to a press and compressed, the pressure is believed to be uniformly distributed over the different parts of the individual plates so long as the binder was in a molten viscous state. However, as the multiple charge began to cool under compression, the cooling takes place first at the sides of the charge exposed to the surrounding atmosphere and then progresses gradually toward the center of the charge in a direction from all of the exposed sides. A point is reached where the outer area of the mica plates is cooled to temperatures below the solidification point of the binder, while the binder in the inner area of the mica plates is still in a molten viscous state.

Thus, at this state in the prior process, the outer area nearer the edges of the mica plate was in a contracted state while the inner area nearer the middle is in an expanded state and consequently the applied pressure is being exerted to a far less degree upon the outer contracted area than upon the inner expanded area of the mica plates in the multiple heater charge during the cooling operation. It has been found, in practice, that this difference in compression produces a difference in the degree of fusion and flow of the binder and consequently a difference in the degree of uniformity of the resulting product. Furthermore, the degree of compression upon the outer area of the mica plate, that is, the area which is beyond the molten binder, was found to decrease toward the edges of the mica plate as the distance from the inner area becomes greater. We have found also that the deleterious thermal effect becomes increasingly greater as the thickness of the multiple heater charge or number of mica plates in the assembly, is increased. This is readily explained by the fact that the total thickness of the expanded inner area of the mica plates in the multiple charge is proportionately greater than the total thickness of the contracted outer area of the mica plates, as the number of mica plates in the heater charge is increased. This proportionate differences in degree of compression upon the inner and outer irea of the mica plates, with consequently inadequate fusion and irregular flow of the binder in the outer area of the mica plates, decreased mechanical strength and integration, and pro- .iuced less translucency and uniformity of prodnet.

We have found further that, as the result of the above described thermal effect, a mechanical distortion efiect gradually develops in the metal separator sheets at points or areas where the inner expanded and outer contracted areas meet, upon repeated subjection of the plates in the heater charges to red heat and subsequent cooling under compression. This mechanical distortion effect takes the form of knurled spots and bumps in the metal sheets. Thus, in addition to the thermal effect, there is introduced a deleterithermal .effect vwhich produces a ,decrease, in ;;7s ous mechanical effect, which is directly attributable to and further developed by the thermal efiect, and this mechanical effect, added to the thermal effect, serves even further, and progressively more, to create even greater differences in the degree of compression between the inner and outer areas of the mica plates, and thus to produce even greater difierences in the relative degrees of fusion and irregularity in flow of the binder in the inner and outer areas of the mica plates and in uniformity of the product.

In accordance with the present invention, the Substantially uniform dissipation of heat from all of the different parts of the plate enable the maintenance of uniform compression upon the plate at all points during cooling and produces a uniform product of superior hardness, mechanical integration, translucency, and uniformity.

While the preferred application of the present invention and the preferred form of apparatus for practicing the same have been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be applied to other methods and the apparatus may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. Apparatus of the character described having in combination, a heating furnace provided with means for maintaining the temperature therein in the neighborhood of red heat, a conveyer for moving individual composite bonded mica plates, each comprising an assembly of layers of mica flakes superficially bonded together by an unfluxed inorganic binder successively through the heating furnace in a horizontal plane to bring the binder to a state of flux, a power press disposed immediately adjacent the discharge end of said heating chamber and arranged to receive successive heated plates directly from the furnace, said press being inclined downwardly and rearwardly with relation to the horizontal plane of the plate as it is discharged from the furnace by the conveyer whereby to facilitate movement of the plate into and out of the press, and means for operating said press in timed relation to the movement of said conveyer to effect compression of successive plates while the binder is still in a state of flux and to maintain said pressure for a predetermined interval during which the plate is cooled.

2. Apparatus for producing high-heat composite inorganic-bonded mica plates, comprising; a heating chamber, conveying means for intermittently moving individual mica plates through said heating chamber, means for discharging plates from said conveyor as they emerge from said chamber, a cyclically operable power press arranged to receive immediately plates discharged from said conveyor and to compress said plates, and control means arranged to control operation of said conveyor and power press in timed relation to each other to cause said press to maintain a substantially constant pressure on each mica plate for a substantial portion of each cycle of operation of said apparatus.

3. In a method of producing high-heat composite inorganic-bonded mica plates, the steps of; assembling a composite plate superficially bonded together by an unfluxed inorganic binder, moving successive plates through a heating zone, maintaining the temperature of said zone sufllciently high to cause said binder to assume a state of flux, successively compressing individual plates immediately upon emerging from said heating zone and while the binder is still in a state of flux, and maintaining substantially uniform pressure over the entire face of said plate until it has cooled sufiiciently to solidify the binder.

WILLIAM R. MANSFIELD. FRANK C. HUGHES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,262,016 Close Apr. 9, 1918 1,738,097 Cooper Dec. 3, 1929 1,945,992 Boblett et a1. Feb. 6, 1934 1,993,413 Mellon Mar. 5, 1935 2,005,621 Habicht June 18, 1935 2,035,650 Gustafson Mar. 31, 1936 2,036,129 Franke Mar. 31, 1936 2,231,718 H111 Feb. 11, 1941 2,363,323 Hill Nov. 21, 1944 2,445,742 Hoch July 20, 1948 

